Asheville Day Trip

Made it to Asheville today to meet with Bishop Porter Taylor. Two hours there, one hour meeting, one hour phone shopping, two hours home and there you have it - a whole day! The meeting went really well. It started off pretty official and heavy with some probing spiritual questions (like, "how has your understanding of your call to the ministry changed since participating in the PLDC?" and "Who is Jesus for you?") We worked our way into more casual, comfortable territory as we continued to talk and by the time I left, we were cracking each other up. :) I've been invited to attend the May overnight (probably with about eight other aspirants and the Commission on Ministry) which will be May 21-22 at Lake Logan. After the overnight, if I'm still in the game, I have six months to do the following: 6mo internship, psychological exam, physical exam, Myers Briggs, etc. Is it sick that I'm really enjoying this process? :)haha! I've heard it described as the longest low-hurdle race you'll ever run, and like a minefield full of hoops to jump through. I think I enjoy it because I really need this time to wrap my head around the idea of me as a priest. The call finds you, even if you're not really ready to imagine yourself there. This gives me a process, a checklist, a calendar and a plan. I can organize my route and have a system of evaluators in place to reinforce me along God's path. Thy will be done, not mine... the feedback helps me feel like this really is what I SHOULD be doing rather than just what I WANT to do.

Thanks for the love and support. What will be, will be! One thing's for sure, I can't be anyone other than me... and I don't want to be. If this is right, then it'll happen. If not, I've got something else wonderful out there waiting for me.

He made us this way for a reason...

This is a rant. I was so frustrated after our church dinner group that I came home and vented. I didn't publish it right away b/c i knew I was pretty steamed and venting. I decided to go ahead and upload it because it's how I felt at the time,and probably still feel now - even if I would say it with a bit less heat. As you can tell, it was a pretty intense discussion... :)

Dear ____,

Do you know her story? Where she came from? What she came through? How can you honestly sound so disgusted? You sit there and talk about God and morals but you don't mean it the way you sound, all convinced that the world thinks the way you do. You are holding her up to your own moral code. Even if the world (and God) believed as you do, do you ever make mistakes? Would you like to be cast out for them because I, or anyone else, deem them too large? Your condemnation and judgment is ugly. This is an opportunity for discussion and progress; a test of your faith, your love, and your forgiveness. If nobody ever made a mistake, the world would become stagnant.
You say it's different because she's a role model, because it's church. Do all role models, then, have to hide away their imperfections, their embarrassments? sweep it under the carpet and keep it all a shameful secret? What if it's not an embarrassment to her? What if she's excited about this? What if she's ready? And church! Kick her while she's down because it's CHURCH!? Do we really hold people at church to that unattainable saintly standard just because it's church? Are we all supposed to walk around covering our sins and putting on a pure white mask of Godly perfection in God's house? What better place for screw ups than church. Please, tell me. Isn't that where we can all go, no matter how low we feel?

What would happen if you just loved her. Imagined her as your child instead of imagining your child like her. Would you hold her? Tell her it's all okay and she's loved no matter what? Even if you are disappointed.

If you really think about your life, and every decision you ever made - even if it all turned out okay - are you not a screw up too? And who gets to decide what is "right" anyway? Shouldn't that be left up to the big guy? Maybe this is exactly right for her.

Kee talks at camp about the Kingdom of God. Nobody gets kicked out, no matter what. God doesn't love you any less because you're imperfect. He made you that way.

Parish Lay Discernment Committee

The PLDC is finally done! Six moths went by so fast... I was recommended to continue in the process and feel very honored by the narrative of support they sent to the bishop's office. I meet with Bishop Porter Taylor on March 30th in Asheville. After that, it's two overnights, an internship, some paperwork, and seminary.

In other news, I'm super excited about a "Big Sis, Lil Sis" weekend in Boone with Beka and Amanda! This weekend is Palm Sunday and I'm very excited to share my church with them on this special holiday - the choir has some amazing music planned (like Crucifixus (Lotti) and O vos omnes (by Casals))!

It's supposed to snow tonight. ugh. But I think Blake and I will live it up one more time for the season and go skiing together. :) He's so amazing on the snowboard now! We have a blast on the mountain together.

I talk all the time about Donald's artwork (pottery and cards). It is amazing! I finally figured out how to get photos off of my cell phone so there are some images of his work on Facebook.

My Jeep is in the shop in Richmond... again. Say a prayer for that beloved heap of junk and my poor brother who has to find rides to and from work until it's out again.

Blake and I are officially living in Boone for the summer - Blake working at App and finishing his thesis; me working for Donald and enjoying another summer of flexibility and travel. Unless a nice job pops up, this is the plan. (haha- PLAN. we all know how those turn out.)

That seems like a pretty good update for now :) Wedding crazyness starts again - I love my ladies and I love weddings so it'll be a good (if ridiculously crazy) spring. :)


Some work by Donald

Beauty and Love Abound

Oh, the beach! I love this place, I love this family. The Dentons plus Donovans plus significant others plus a few Donovan cousins and a childhood best friend or two. Life is so good! For example, yesterday I spent five hours on the beach surrounded by this loving group of people. We fished, walked, played with the puppy, drank beer, napped, read and enjoyed the sunshine. We turned in around four for cocktails, games, showers, and dinner - followed by more games and story telling. This morning, we all woke up together (as nineteen people in a small, carpetless house are bound to d0) and sat around welcoming the rainy day with coffee and tea. More story telling, more laughter... now I'm sitting here with my cross-stitching listening to the chatter and games and Thomas on the guitar - Esta and Kim are in the kitchen making the eggs to go with our Kegs and Eggs celebration (about to begin... the last one to the table is the beer bitch so I have to run).

We are so blessed, we are so loved.

Soak it all up!

XOXOXOXOXO

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...

I can't wait for the beach. I don't quite understand why this winter seemed so long - except that our first snow was October 17th and it's still snowing now... in March. Last weekend, I glimpsed what life will be like when winter is finally over and I am READY! Freckles, smiles, sitting on back porches, natural light in the house, walks, and that tight, warm feeling that your skin gets when it's been in the sun all day. Even better than the natural light, Vitamin D, and energy we get from the sun - the solitude of winter is almost over! The snow and cold keeps most of us indoors and we get plenty of down time on the couch with a cup of tea and a novel or two. We go into social hibernation and, while nice for awhile, I'm so ready to wake up! Off to Florida we go...





You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy,
When skies are gray.
You'll never know, dear
How much I love you.
Please don't take,
My sunshine away.

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and try to follow them."
-Louisa May Alcott